You Have Concrete Questions, Goodmanson Construction Has Your Answers.

BEFORE WE GET STARTED:

And if there is anything you don’t see here and you want to talk to someone right away about your project, call us at 651-636-4996.

CONCRETE:

How Long Before I Can Park On My New Driveway?

For Concrete:You may drive and park your personal vehicle on your new concrete surface after 7 days.

Your new concrete is designed to reach 90% of its full strength potential after 7 days, so feel free to drive your personal vehicle on it then. It will take additional time before you can drive or park heavy equipment or machinery on your newly poured concrete, so make sure to wait at least 30 days.

When Can I Walk On My New Concrete?

Please keep vehicles, children, pets, and yourself off of your newly poured concrete for the next 24 hours.

After 24 hours, you can walk on your newly poured concrete, but avoid dragging your feet, ‘doing the twist’, or allowing your pets to walk on it as their claws can scuff the concrete.

Why Is My Concrete Different Colors?

Concrete may appear discolored in certain areas as it takes up to 60 days for the concrete to be fully cured. This may cause the concrete to look spotty in areas because there are different amounts of moisture evaporating from each section of your concrete. Please do not be alarmed as this is a normal occurrence and will fade in time.

Why Does My Concrete Crack?

All concrete cracks. We are very skilled at what type of concrete mix we use and where we design our control joints. Hairline cracks do not affect the structural integrity of your new concrete. Please call your Project Designer for more information.

What Do You Call The Lines In Concrete?

The lines cut into concrete are called control joints. Control joints are used to control where your concrete cracks, helping keep your concrete surface level.

Can I Use Salt On My Concrete?

Salts or any other deicers, should not be used on your concrete. Any salts or deicers claiming to be safe for concrete can actually damage your concrete surface. The best way to keep your concrete safe in the winter is to keep it clean with a plastic shovel and to use kitty litter or sand for traction.

What Is Better, Stamped Concrete or Pavers?

Put simply, concrete is longer lasting, requires less maintenance, and can stand up better against the Minnesota freeze-thaw cycle. Concrete, whether finished traditionally, stamped, or textured, requires extremely low maintenance to keep it looking new. The only recommended maintenance for concrete is to have it pressure washed and resealed every few years. Interlocking pavers, however, have a higher level of maintenance. Because of the freeze-thaw cycles, concrete has the structural integrity and reinforcement to stand up against the freeze-thaw cycle, where pavers will shift as individual units. Both concrete and pavers can get you the style you are looking for, but to better understand what option is best Schedule An Estimate or see our comparison on Stamped Concrete Vs. Pavers.

Does Stamped Concrete Fade?

Stamped or colored concrete can fade if it is not properly maintained. We recommend resealing your decorative concrete every few years, however in high traffic areas, it may need to be resealed more often.

Is Stamped Concrete Slippery?

Stamped concrete may become slippery when wet, but Goodmanson Construction offers two different types of sealers, one that is matte finish and one that is glossy finish, which can help keep your concrete vibrant and less slippery.

How Often Do I Need To Seal My Concrete?

Any concrete area exposed to road chemicals, salt, or automotive oil, such as driveways, should be resealed every 2-3 years depending on the winter. Other areas, such as concrete steps, sidewalks, and patios, should be resealed every 3-4 years.

Why Do You Seal Concrete?

Goodmanson Construction applies all driveways and decorative concrete with two different sealers, unlike many other concrete contractors who only apply one. The first sealer is applied immediately after the concrete is poured to help the concrete cure correctly. The next sealer, which is specialized to Goodmanson Construction, is applied around 30 days after the concrete project was poured to help protect against stains, spills, and common wear and tear.

What Do I Need To Do Before My Garage Is Demolished?

Make sure your garage is completely empty, including old TV’s, mattresses, leftover remodeling supplies, tools, and more! If your garage isn’t COMPLETELY empty when Goodmanson Construction’s crew arrives for demolition, you could be charged for the crew’s time and labor.

ASPHALT:

When Can I Park On My New Driveway?

For Asphalt: you may drive and park your personal vehicle on your newly paved asphalt driveway after 7 days.

Although, if it is extremely warm out, it make take additional days before you can drive on your asphalt driveway. Be careful of anything with kickstands, wheelbarrows, or pointed objects as they can leave indentations in your asphalt.

When Can I Walk On My New Driveway?

You may walk on your new asphalt driveway after 24 hours. Although, the time is dependent on weather conditions. It may take an additional day or two before you are able to walk on your new asphalt driveway.

When Can I Drive On My Newly Paved Asphalt Parking Lot?

Goodmanson Construction paves asphalt parking lots at a thicker depth than residential, allowing personal vehicles to drive on the newly paved asphalt parking lot after 24 hours. Although, the weather may require additional days before vehicles can drive on the asphalt surface. Commercial vehicles, such as semi’s, delivery trucks, or other heavy machinery may need to wait additional time too before driving on the new asphalt parking lot.

When To Seal My New Asphalt Driveway?

Any asphalt driveway exposed to automotive oil spills, road chemicals, or deicing mixtures, should be resealed every 2-3 years depending on the winter. If your asphalt driveway rarely see’s chemicals, deicing mixtures, or spills then we recommend resealing every 3-4 years. Goodmanson Construction does not reseal asphalt driveways, but we do recommend Back to Black Sealcoating.

GENERAL QUESTIONS:

What Is An Erosion Blanket?

The erosion blanket is a biodegradable product used to help reseed areas around your project. You are not required to do anything with the erosion blanket, but if you wish to remove it, wait at least one month, or until you see 85% of the grass growing through it.

To remove: Carefully pull up the erosion blanket starting at one corner, making sure that you are not pulling up the grass seeds with it. If you do notice grass seeds being pulled, lay the blanket down and wait another month.

Question Form

Do you have a concrete, asphalt, or related question? Submit your question here. Please do not submit a request for an estimate of a project or feedback here, this is strictly for Frequently Asked Questions.

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Concrete Answers

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Goodmanson Construction provides concrete answers to your questions about your new concrete or asphalt project. We'll tell you when it's OK to walk and park on your new driveway. Goodmanson Construction's team of experts is here for your questions, so drop us a line!

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Goodmanson Construction Team

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"As the end of the 2010-2011 snow season, I am looking ahead to next season and hoping to continue with Goodmanson. You guys have been over-the-top great! Thanks again for a great experience! Looking forward to a continued partnership"Executive Director, Rosewood Estate of Highland Park, MN